Mysteries of the Heart
by AnDe101
Summary: Due to a recent breach in security, everyone is in a mad scramble trying to get answers. So what happens when you pair up an unwilling detective and a rather fiery agent together? Well these are the catalysts to a chaotic mixture! *Full Summary Inside*
1. Prologue: The Problem

**Title:** Mysteries of the Heart

**Full Summary:** Due to the recent breach in security, everyone is in a mad scramble trying to get answers. Throw in some unsuspecting victims into the batch, along with a of couple paranoid folks, people who have contrasting personality issues, a sinister plot, a sprinkle of some chaos and misunderstanding, and viola! The ingredients for a disaster are all set and accounted for.

**Rating:** T - M

**Warning(s):** Might include typos, a slandering of the English language, profanity, maybe some OOC-ness with some characters (It's my first time writing for this fandom, they might be a bit off ^^'', so sorry in advance!) yaoi (in future chapters), putting up with my humor, and a mighty helping of suffering for some characters. But hey, you torture those you love best right?_ –cricket cricket-_ …right…_-coughs awkwardly-_ Okay, on with the story!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. We all know who owns him -grins- ;D

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**Prologue: The Problem**

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The rabid news media, he could handle them. Needing to lay on the charm to finalize a deal, he could handle that. Attending grueling business meetings that had no end, getting stuck with paper work that had him coming home at ungodly hours of the night – no wait technically it would be morning by the time he got home – while juggling into the mix his so called social life, well he could manage.

Just barely though.

But all issues and doubts be damned! He wasn't chosen for this job for nothing.

After finally working his ass off to attain the respect and leadership of the company, along with achieving some sort of stability within the business world, he was thrown a curve ball.

Uchiha Itachi allowed a small frown to appear on his face as he pinched the bridge of his nose trying to stop an oncoming headache. He could still vaguely recall the horror-stricken look his analyst wore on the day he spoke of the dreadful news.

Someone had hacked into the mainframe of the company.

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Obsidian eyes stared dully through the tall glass window and onto the busy city that lay below. Watching the people move about their day; it was like an undeclared pattern really. They would wake up, do their morning ritual, and be off to work only to come back home and repeat the process all over again the next day.

These people were all too wrapped in their own little happy fantasies to even notice those around them. Itachi let out an almost inaudible scoff. They were all so painfully oblivious of their surroundings.

He tore his gaze away from the buzzing city life beneath him and focused his attention onto the parchment that lay atop his mahogany desk.

Itachi glared at the documents, the ones that confirmed his silent fears. They were proof to the breach in security. Someone had indeed hacked their way into the mainframe and by the looks of it, gained access to some of the company's top secret files.

Though questions pertaining to the hacker's motive and how he got pass security still eluded the dark-haired man.

Itachi gracefully traversed toward his desk and sat down on his leather chair, all the while trying to think of a possible solution to this burdensome predicament he was now currently placed in.

A disturbing thought suddenly came to him while he contemplated over the subject.

_Did the hacker find what he was looking for?_

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An elderly man with snowy-white hair unleashed an ear-splitting grin as he spotted a lovely, and for his personal enjoyment, rather curvy woman sitting at the lobby desk typing away.

"Excuse me, miss." Said lady lifted her gaze from the computer to acknowledge the speaker.

"Hello, sir. How may I help you?" She replied with a polite smile of her own.

"Ah! I am glad you asked! For you see I have this problem." The lady gave a small nod urging the man to continue.

"Well, something's wrong with my eyes." The man said motioning for the woman to come closer as if beckoning her to examine them.

_Hook._

The lady leaned forward and had worried look on her face. "What's wrong with them?"

The man eyed the woman's figure that was now up-close appreciatively. _Damn! She has a rather nice body on her! I sure have an eye for this sort of thing._

He gave a lecherous smile as he whispered in her ear. "I just can't keep them off you."

_Line._

She suddenly recoiled back and slugged the elderly man for all he was worth.

_Sinker. With a punch…wow lame pun indeed._

"Pervert!" She hollered red in the face and was ready to pummel him if not for a sudden intrusion that made himself present and was now blocking her way to the perverted man that deserved a beating or two. How dare he try to stop her wrath! She shot him a warning glare and her body tensed waiting for the blond man to explain his actions.

"Wait! Look I know I wasn't here when it happened," the intruder began while rubbing the back of his head nervously, "but I'm pretty sure Jiraiya here said something stupid that most likely offended you in some way."

"You know this man?" She asked with a pointed glare directed toward the older man of the two who was now standing back up rubbing his bruised cheek while muttering something about women and their brute strength.

"Yeah, I do. Rather unfortunate for me though." He mumbled the last part silently and rolled his eyes in a playful fashion.

"Hey! I heard that brat!" Jiraiya retorted smacking his companion's head.

"Ouch! Dammit, that hurt!"

"You're a grown man now Naruto, you'll get over it."

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, this is the thanks I get for saving your ungrateful ass from a can of butt-whooping that lady over there was more than eager to dish out?"

"Hey I didn't hit you _that _hard." Jiraiya said trying to defend his actions.

But Naruto wasn't done ranting. "I can't believe you'd forget the reason why we're here in the first place and opted to flirt with someone else rather than thinking of the objective at hand!" He then continued to rave on and on about perverted guardians who get easily distracted and don't pay attention, leaving him to play hero and save said person before his face was pummeled to a point of no recognition. Naruto snickered at the memory.

"That is so not true! I remember exactly why we were called down here for!"

The lady watched with an amused stare as the two continued to bicker, but the last part of their argument had peaked her interest.

"You guys have an appointment here?"

"Ah yes, with Uchiha Itachi." Naruto grinned sheepishly as he momentarily forgot that another person was in the room with Jiraiya and him.

"Oh! So you two are his two o'clock appointment?" They both nodded as she went back to her desk and picked up the phone.

After a few moments of waiting, the secretary, they finally put two and two together as to how she knew of their visit and why she was acting all…secretary-like. Though looking back on this situation realistically it only made sense that the one who looked, acted, and sounded like a secretary, was conveniently_ a secretary_, but hey people have their dumb moments…

"Okay you two. Mr. Uchiha is ready to see you now."

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Jiraiya scanned the papers once more with a grim expression. In his peripheral vision he caught some movement.

Naruto was nervously twitching with anxiety as he fidgeted in his seat; he offered the boy a comforting smile and then locked his gaze with the powerful man in front of him ready to voice out his thoughts.

"Itachi, can you really trust these documents?"

Itachi calmly intertwined his fingers, placed them atop his desk, and stared back at Jiraiya with a passive face. "Affirmative. I have personally checked this situation at hand to verify the validity of the claim."

"I see," Jiraiya lowered his gaze to the documents once more, "and do you believe it was a one person job or a group of people?"

"At the current moment we cannot safely assume who was involved with the hacking," Itachi paused, "though we do believe this may have been an inside job."

This response did nothing to alleviate the growing tension in the room.

Finally Naruto spoke up. "What do you mean?" His brows knitted in confusion.

Itachi's eyes suddenly took on a darker shade. "This hacker, whoever or whomever they may be, managed to gain access to top secret files. I do not know how much time it took them, but they were here long enough to figure out how to bypass the security system."

Naruto grimaced and proceeded to ask his next question. "Those files that they stole, what do you think they plan to do with them?" Ah bingo, it was only a matter of time before someone asked that question.

Jiraiya frowned as he witnessed a flicker of emotion pass through those obsidian eyes before Itachi closed them. For what seemed like an eternity he finally opened his eyes, which were now blood-red. Neither of the two seemed to be surprised at the sudden change, if anything it only clarified how dire the situation had become.

Itachi opened his mouth to speak, but one had to strain their hearing just to catch the soft words that came out of his mouth.

"I have a suspicion that the person did not find what they were looking for. I believe that they might target the main branch. The one located back in Japan."

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**Author's Note:**

Well there you go the beginning of a new story. I hope the prologue was understandable, I know I might have been a bit vague. But hey! There's a reason why this is not a one shot, I am willing to write multiple chapters to elaborate on the ideas that are affiliated with this story :]

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**Next Chapter:** We shall meet the rest of the gang and more people who are unknowingly involved now ^^

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_xFairy-of-Twilightx_


	2. Chapter 1: Preparations

**Title:** Mysteries of the Heart

**Full Summary:** Due to the recent breach in security, everyone is in a mad scramble trying to get answers. Throw in some unsuspecting victims into the batch, along with a of couple paranoid folks, people who have contrasting personality issues, a sinister plot, a sprinkle of some chaos and misunderstanding, and viola! The ingredients for a disaster are all set and accounted for.

**Rating:** T – M

" Talking "

' _Thoughts/Lyrics'_

**Warning(s):** Might include typos, a slandering of the English language, profanity, maybe some OOC-ness with some characters (It's my first time writing for this fandom, they might be a bit off ^^'', so sorry in advance!) yaoi (in future chapters), putting up with my humor, and a mighty helping of suffering for some characters. But hey, you torture those you love best right?_ –cricket cricket-_ …right…_-coughs awkwardly-_ Okay, on with the story!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. You'll know if I ever did, or if any Naruto fangirl owned that show…trust me…you'd know right away -evil grin-

**Song:** "Everybody Loves Me" by: One Republic

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**Chapter 1: Preparations**

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"Naruto! Are you almost done packing?" Jirayia shouted from the bottom of the staircase, placing his suitcases down near the front door. Straining to hear an answer, but receiving only muffled music as the response; he bounded up the spiraling staircase and toward the room where the music's volume was concealed by the oak door.

He released a tired sigh and did not bother knocking as he barged into his adopted grandson's room. The loud music assaulted his eardrums as they escaped from Naruto's room after he opened the door.

_Got love for the people that have warned you,_

_Got love for all the sentimental value_

_Eight balls with the takers that'll make you,_

_Lay cards with the lovers that'll hate you_

Naruto hummed to the song, oblivious to the other person intruding on this private moment as he bopped his head to the beat while hunting through his closet for clothes.

_And you don't have to make a sound,_

_They got what you need, what you need_

A triumphant Naruto emerged from the closet holding out his favorite orange shirt that he had to dig through mounds of clothes to find. He packed it away into his suitcase and continued his pilferage through his closet for more clothes as he checked his cell phone for text messages.

He didn't want to brag, but he was a pro at multitasking. The best of the best, no one could be more focused on a task than he was, nothing got passed him. He grinned and sang along with the next verse of the song.

_Make you say, "Oh my!"_

_Feels just like I don't try,_

_Looks so good I might die_

He winked at himself as he passed the door-length mirror. Sure he was only clad in a white t-shirt and heart-patterned boxers, but he was Uzumaki Naruto! He made any outfit look good, believe it!

_All I know is everybody loves me,_

_Get down, _

_Swaying to my own sound,_

_All I know is, everybody loves me,_

_Everybody loves me_

Naruto finished with a laugh and did a spin before he bowed to an invisible audience.

"Encore you say? Oh no…I couldn't…well maybe just one more," He flashed a cocky smile as he did his own rendition of the air guitar and slid onto the carpet mimicking what appeared to be a guitar solo of some sort.

Jiraiya all the while covered his mouth with his hand to keep himself from erupting in laughter as he watched his grandson throw a mini-rock concert in his room, but they had a plane to catch tomorrow, so the fun had to end eventually.

"Okay, rock star time to pack up the gig and get your ass off the floor. We have to leave early tomorrow you know."

Naruto's head spun toward his door at break necking speed that he grunted in pain as he felt the whiplash of his actions.

"Old man! You could have knocked or something!" Naruto all but shrieked at his grandfather, he was a man, and manly people did not shriek.

"And pass up the chance to witness the elusive Uzumaki Naruto concert?" Jiraiya teased as he entered the room plopping down on the bed as he brushed off the glare coming from the blond.

The answer he got was a huff of annoyance from Naruto who scurried off back into his closet feeling his face heat up from the embarrassment of being caught. Okay…so maybe he wasn't the best multi-tasker around, so what if he was a little oblivious, isn't everybody? He refused to be singled out on this little fact.

Jiraiya smiled unbeknownst to the blond who was angrily grumbling away in the closet. The little punk was growing up so fast, and don't get him wrong or anything, but he really wanted what was best for the blond. That's why he requested that Naruto be part of this case. He adamantly argued with Itachi after the meeting to have Naruto come along, and he was met with some resistance on the Uchiha's part, but his determination was something to be envious of. Eventually, the Uchiha reluctantly agreed, but on one condition.

Jiraiya scratched his chin as he thought of what was in store for them once they made it to Japan. _'With any luck, we'll hopefully make it through this with minimal damage.' _

He then frowned as he shifted his attention back to his grandson; the mere thought was nearly impossible to achieve. He couldn't protect Naruto this time; he couldn't protect him from the horrible truth that was lurking in the near future. It was finally time for Naruto to find the missing pieces of his murky past that eluded him all these years.

And Jiraiya hoped, with every fiber of his being, that this would be the same Naruto that would come back to them. This carefree, happy-go-lucky blond whose smile was so damn contagious, there should be a diagnosis of it.

'_Naruto, don't take this mission as a joke. This task will either make you the man you've always wanted to be, complete; or break you and we'd lose you forever.'_

Jiraiya forced himself to believe that it would be the former of the two; the latter was not even an option in his mind.

**

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**-In Japan-**

Onyx eyes glared through the window as he witnessed the transaction right below him. Disgusted, he tore his eyes away from the two people that he had accidentally caught making out in the front parking lot. Had they no shame? Out in public…and in front of him no less! Granted they probably did not know he saw them, but still, had they no decency? They were literally sucking each others faces off.

A suppressed shudder made its way down his back as he was given a hideous mental image. He needed to bleach out his mind now courtesy from those two.

You would never catch him in that situation. The need to show that much public display of affection was beyond him.

His last relationship, hell even he would not call it that, never really got intimate or personal. It was not his fault that his partner could not handle his personality. Bitch thought he would change for her? Ha, yeah right, this is _the_ Uchiha Sasuke you are talking about and he does not change for anybody. She was lucky he even looked her way. Any arguments claiming that he glared at her instead of looked will be denied all the way to court and back.

A knock on the door put a stop to his musings as he stalked toward his desk and sat down on his chair.

"Enter." Came the smooth command.

"Uchiha-sama, these files have been sent in…and the higher-ups wish for you to look at them..." Sasuke let his gaze linger on the stiff man before him. He glanced at the name tag that read _"Yoshiro" _before dark, calculating eyes locked onto wide and fearful brown ones.

Yoshiro forced down a gulp and tried to put a calm façade as he stared off against his boss. Sometimes it really sucked being an intern…he had no clue what he was in for.

Minutes ticked by as the tension in the room rose to suffocating levels. Yoshiro was slowly coming to his wit's end if his boss did not say anything sometime soon.

"Yoshiro-san," Sasuke began after what seemed like an eternity to the man being addressed, "Are these files of the utmost importance?"

Yoshiro's expression faltered as he stared at the raven in front of him confused, "I…w-would think so Uchiha-sama…" That was a safe enough answer, right? Wrong. He now stupidly entered the dangerous game, which was communicating with his boss.

Sasuke's glare hardened as he warily eyed the documents that were being offered to him. "Are you sure?"

Yoshiro tried to regain his composure once the Uchiha directed his attention to the pieces of paper in his hands. "Yes, sir I-"

Before he could finish his sentence or even blink the raven was suddenly in front of him. A good distance away from his face, but close enough that he was trapped and doomed if the intimidating man suddenly decided to physically lash out at him. Yoshiro internally cursed as he felt his life flashing right before his eyes, and then he was suddenly dragged back to reality as the raven's sharp voice cut through his little reverie.

"Then why were you," Sasuke's face contorted with disgust before he continued, "doing other _business_ when you knew how important these files were?"

Yoshiro's face reminded him of a deer caught between two headlights, combined with a gaping fish struggling for water as its death slowly approached. At least he was generous enough to keep himself from laughing at the man's expense, his expression really was priceless. Too bad though, once Sasuke pounced and you had let your guard down; he went in for the kill.

"Did you even check the files?" A simple, innocent question.

"Uchiha-sama I-" But alas, too slow with the retaliation.

"Or were you too busy thinking about fucking the girl you had made out with outside?" Bet you were not expecting this one.

Yoshiro's eyes were as round as saucers as he stared at his boss with disbelieving eyes, "How did you find out?"

Sasuke scowled at the trembling man and quickly pointed toward his window. For the love of god, he was working with a bunch of incompetents! Really now, the windows were facing the god damn parking lots and this imbecile was trying to act aloof? Oh hell no, intern or not, that was not going to work, especially if Sasuke was your boss.

"U-uchiha-sama…I c-c-an e-explain, y-you see-" Yoshiro stammered trying to get out of the predicament he landed himself in. Though his grave was getting deeper with every word that came out of his mouth.

Sasuke retreated back to his desk with the files held in a firm grip. "Leave now, or I'll fire you."

Yoshiro seemed taken aback by the threat, he licked his lips and tried to calm his beating heart.

"E-excuse me?"

"Get. Out." Sasuke hissed with his back to the intern.

Yoshiro did not need to be told again as he literally ran out of his boss's office at a speed that made his co-workers wonder if the devil was chasing him. Though Yoshiro would have preferred the devil over the Uchiha any day, for he firmly believed that even his boss could scare the living hell out of the devil himself and take over his domain if he wanted to. But unfortunately, Sasuke preferred to intimidate the living instead of the dead…lucky us…

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**-Somewhere in the Building-**

Kiba snorted as he watched the intern run away from the Uchiha's office. "Oi, Shika! It seems the moody bastard scared another one off, I'm tellin' ya I am _soo_ going to win this bet!" He exclaimed once he walked into the cubicle of his supposedly sleeping friend.

Shikamaru did not even budge a muscle as Kiba continued to rant about this so-called bet, it was okay though. His lack of acknowledgment toward you did not mean he was not listening. That was one of the things you had to be wary of with the quiet brunette, you had no idea if he was really dozing off or if he was simply closing his eyes as you accidentally let out an embarrassing secret to him while you were too caught up in your rant to notice the slip-up.

Finally feeling an oncoming headache from the loudness of his friend, Shikamaru lifted his head with great effort and shot Kiba a pointed look. "Kiba, what the hell are you going on about now?"

Kiba leaned against one of the walls and gave his friend a face-splitting grin. "Don't ya remember? At the worker's lounge during our lunch break where Ino, Sakura, and I made a bet at how long we think the new intern will last?" He looked completely affronted that Shikamaru would dare forget such a thing. Especially when he felt strongly that he was going to win this bet, and save his manly pride from the bruising it would get from the girls if he lost.

Shikamaru could only let out a tired sigh, contemplating on how said bet was completely irrelevant to their task at hand. "Kiba," he rubbed his left eye, "focus." He did not need to say what it was the boisterous man needed to focus on, he already knew. Plus it would be too troublesome to explain anymore than he needed to.

The atmosphere in the small cubicle drastically shifted so quickly that Shikamaru even bothered to look up and take notice of the troubled expression evident on the spiky brunette's face.

"Kiba…" Shikamaru started.

Said man kept his eyes glued to the checkered-patterned carpet beneath them as the tension in the room acclimated.

"We've been investigating this case for months now Shikamaru," The quiet brunette noted that Kiba was in a serious mood if he was using his full name, "But dammit! We aren't gettin' anywhere! It seems every time we find a lead, it ends up being a false one or a dead end! I'm getting really sick and tired of these wild goose chases…I really am." Kiba ended in a hushed whisper.

Shikamaru craned his neck to the left in an attempt to stretch out the soreness he felt before he sighed heavily and stared back at the dejected man before him.

"You know I was the one who deemed those files important before I gave them to the intern, Yoshiro." He explained, wondering if he should tell his friend what the files contained.

Kiba raised his head and shot him with a bewildered look, "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

Shikamaru ignored him and continued, "At first it was more information regarding the case," he paused seriously re-considering his actions for it would surely elicit an immediate response from Kiba. Nonetheless, he had already brought the topic out in the open, so he had no choice but to continue. This act of kindness was proving to be more troublesome than it was worth. All he wanted to do was to go back to his nap, the one that was interrupted the moment the dog-lover announced his presence.

Shikamaru sighed for the umpteenth time that day as he noticed how the conversation baited the spiky brunette in. _'Might as well get it over with.'_

"The corporation branch in America was targeted a few days ago; they even managed to download some classified files as well." There, he had said it. The silence that followed was such a promising delight as he hoped to get back to his nap, maybe if the silence lingered for a while longer he could get in a good 30-minute power nap.

"WHAT!"

Shikamaru knew it was too good to be true.

Kiba suddenly re-gained his ability to talk once the shock had subsided, "What do you mean it was targeted?" He did not know when it happened but his hands seemed to have grabbed the scruff of Shikamaru's shirt and he pulled him forward. He shook the man a bit roughly when he remained silent.

Shikamaru merely shrugged Kiba off, "It means what you think it means Kiba."

Kiba released his hold and was now pacing around the room while Shikamaru was ready to trip him if he did not stop anytime soon. God, he was getting dizzy and tired watching him freak out like that.

Finally Kiba stopped. Ah salvation! Then he opened his mouth. Damn, karma is being a real bitch today isn't she?

"Wait, what files were stolen?"

"They're not sure of the exact files. That is why they are sending an operative here as well."

Kiba seemed dumbfounded, "But why send an operative? The files were already stolen, isn't it a bit too late to send someone in now?"

"It said the operative they are sending over can help us with this case."

Kiba let out a snort. "What good will that do? If you haven't noticed Shika we've been sitting ducks here for a while now. Nothing has happened."

"Because we weren't the ones being targeted." Shikamaru sent Kiba a reprimanding look, honestly wasn't he listening? He was making a lot of effort answering Kiba's abundant questions and connecting the pieces together, the least Kiba could do was pay attention.

"But now we are?"

"Exactly."

Kiba glanced back at Shikamaru and asked his final question, "So who's the operative they're sending over?"

A glint appeared in Shikamaru's eyes as he mulled over the question. "They didn't say exactly who, giving only the vague clue of us knowing the person."

Kiba's eyes narrowed in concentration, "We only know of one person over there in the American branch…Shika…do you really think it's _him _they are sending?" There was such hope in his voice it was something akin to a child asking his father if Santa was coming, you just couldn't be a jerk and crush their spirit.

Shikamaru let out a small chuckle before he straightened up and made his way out of his cubicle.

"I have a feeling things are about to change once he's back here again."

A full-fledged grin broke out on Kiba's face as he smacked Shikamaru's shoulder in a friendly way. "Hell yes! It's about damn time he comes back home!" A realization hit Kiba as they were walking toward the front of the building. "Oh my god! I have to tell the others, they'll be thrilled to hear the news!"

Shikamaru shook his head at his friend's antics. The two walked in a comfortable pace as Kiba went on and on about a 'Welcome-back-Home!' party.

"-so much preparation, hey Shika were you even listening?"

"Huh?"

Kiba was about to mock his friend in reply when they were suddenly startled by a particularly loud slam. They watched in mild interest as the young Uchiha exited his office with a rather murderous aura surrounding him. Those who knew what kind of mood Sasuke was in were wise to leave the man alone, and those unfortunate ones who were caught in the line of fire were simply_ 'disposed of'_ as one would put it. Or in other words they were fired and out the door with a _"what-just-happened"_ look on their unsuspecting faces.

"Wow," Kiba whistled as he stayed clear of the battleground, "What got him into a pissy mood?"

Shikamaru held a hand over his mouth trying to contain a yawn before answering, "He probably finished reading the files."

"And it made him _that_ upset?" Kiba incredulously asked watching a poor man get roughly shoved aside by the enraged Uchiha.

"Apparently so, plus I don't think it helped that it was his older brother who sent those files."

As if _'Sasuke's Older Brother'_ were the magic words, Kiba nodded his head in understanding and exited the building with Shikamaru following behind him, "A message from his older brother would do it."

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**-Back in New York-**

Jiraiya glanced at his watch and back toward the top of the stairs as he waited for his grandson to emerge from his room.

"Naruto! If you don't hurry up, I'll come up there and haul your ass down here myself!" He threatened and grinned as he heard the panicked shuffling of feet above him and the door slamming.

Naruto ran down the stairs with his luggage in tow and almost barreled down his grandfather if Jiraiya had not wisely moved aside to let the frantic blond through.

"Okay, okay I'm here. Where's the cab?" He asked while zipping up a black windbreaker and adjusting his black and orange beanie.

"Outside waiting, since you took forever getting downstairs." Jiraiya rolled his eyes while grabbing one of Naruto's suitcases and heading back toward the yellow cab.

Naruto grinned sheepishly and waved an apology to the cab driver, he then grabbed the brass knob of the front door and pulled it forward closing it. It metaphorically symbolized the ending to yet another chapter in his life.

This was it.

They were finally going back home.

He heard the sounds of the locks clicking in place and gazed at the house before him. This had been his home for nearly six years, he couldn't believe the next time he would go inside another house it wouldn't be this one. It would be one that was hundreds of miles away, over the Pacific Ocean.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder and glanced to his left to see his grandfather standing beside him, staring at the house like he was.

"You're not going all sentimental on me now are you Naruto?"

The blond laughed and gently shoved his grandfather's hand from his shoulder, "Nah, if anyone's becoming overly emotional it would be you. I bet you're holding in those so-called manly tears just to make me feel better."

"Dream on kiddo."

"With you always around, they're more like nightmares," Naruto retorted as he slipped away from Jiraiya's insulted glare and walked towards the cab. He pulled out his iPod from his pocket and placed the headphones into his ears.

"Naruto, you're not the best listener around here, believe me I would know, so are you trying to make it worse with having your music blaring through those headphones?" Jiraiya asked following the blond back to where the yellow cab was waiting for them.

Naruto quickly turned around and childishly stuck his tongue out at him. Oh, that was _so_ mature.

"For your information," the blond drawled out, "this is to drown out all the noise, like snoring, once we're on the plane!"

Jiraiya rubbed his chin in thought, "Now that's not such a bad idea there Naruto, I always knew if you put your mind to it and actually focused you could be capable of creating logical thoughts!"

"You old fart; I was talking about your snoring! It's so loud it could wake the dead!"

"Why you little punk!"

Naruto laughed as he ran inside the cab and slammed the door closed before his grandfather could strangle him.

This was going to be an interesting trip indeed.

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**Author's Note:**

Oh I changed my name from xFairy-of-Twilight, to SilverxStarlight! So don't worry this is still the same person xD Now moving on!

The first chapter is now finally out! ^^

Sorry for the lack of plot development in this chapter! o-o'' It's the first one, so things will be moving along quite soon. But this is, dare I say it, to _prepare _for the meeting that is ahead in the next chapter, that's why it's called "Preparations" *cough* xD

Oh, and don't worry Sasuke won't always be that grumpy, he's just in pissed-off-boss mode at the moment ;D Besides it's showing how he's like before Naruto comes into his life, he needs room for change, so fear the wrath of the grumpy Sasuke!

**.-.-.-.-.**

**What's to Come:**

Naruto and Jiraiya finally arrive in Japan, but who's this person that was sent to pick them up?

Kiba and Shikamaru apparently play a role in this mission, just what is it though?

The contents of the documents and the agreement are finally revealed!

Naruto and Sasuke finally meet each other!

Stay tuned for the next chapter, "The Rivalry Begins".

**.-.-.-.-.**

_SilverxStarlight_**  
**


	3. Chapter 2: The Rivalry Begins

**Title:** Mysteries of the Heart

**Full Summary:** Due to the recent breach in security, everyone is in a mad scramble trying to get answers. Throw in some unsuspecting victims into the batch, along with a of couple paranoid folks, people who have contrasting personality issues, a sinister plot, a sprinkle of some chaos and misunderstanding, and viola! The ingredients for a disaster are all set and accounted for.

**Rating:** T – M

" Talking "

' _Thoughts/Lyrics '_

**Warning(s):** Might include typos, a slandering of the English language, profanity, maybe some OOC-ness with some characters (It's fanfiction people! I'll write them to I see fit for the story, if not, then I might as well re-write the whole Naruto plot instead if you want them to be so perfectly in character! O.O) yaoi (in future chapters), putting up with my humor, and a mighty helping of suffering for some characters. But hey, you torture those you love best right?_ –cricket cricket-_ …right…_-coughs awkwardly-_ Okay, on with the story!

**Author's Note:** Thank you to all of those who reviewed, favorited, and story alerted! I'm glad you're liking the story so far! ^^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. –pouts- Way to rub that in…

Read, Review, and Enjoy! And now without further adieu here's Chapter 2!

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Rivalry Begins**

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Confused.

Insulted.

And downright pissed.

These were the emotions that simultaneously inflicted a certain raven as he re-read the documents that were given to him for the second time now. His onyx eyes skimmed past the petty details and formalities as he went straight to the part that was affiliated with him.

'…_Our top analysts and computer technicians are currently deciphering and re-evaluating the weak spots in the main frame to prevent another assault, while our agents have been dispatched to track down the criminals responsible. _

_Although, due to lack of information we currently have regarding about the issue, we are sending this notification to the main branch as a warning about a potential attack. To ensure that this will be solved as soon as possible I find it is necessary that your head detective be partnered up with one of our agents. _

_I am subjected to believe that another attack will be launched sometime in the near future, so with the co-operation of both branches and a heightened security can we prepare ourselves for this situation…'_

Sasuke stopped reading and glanced toward his clock that was in his office.

It read 3 p.m.

Perfect.

That gave him plenty of time to get to the bottom of this and figure out what the hell was going on; all before dinner might he add.

He grabbed his black jacket from the coat rack near the front door and stormed out of his office. One would think he was on a search-and-destroy mission, but Sasuke could tell you that guess wasn't too far off from his real objective.

As he made his way out of the building the intimidating aura emanating from him made the other workers cower in fear and step aside to avoid his silent rampage. That was fine with him though, the less people getting in his way toward his destination the better.

* * *

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Naruto was gently nudged in the shoulder as the captain's voice boomed overhead through the speakers notifying the passengers that they would begin their descent and to buckle up.

"Oi, Naruto! We're landing, wake up!" Jiraiya shook his shoulder with a bit more force this time hoping to wake the sleeping blond up.

"Nngh…five more...minutes…" Came the drowsy reply.

Jiraiya frowned as Naruto turned in his sleep facing away from him and toward the circular windows. At this rate he'd have to carry the blond out of the plane, but there was no way in hell that was happening. Not only would it attract unwanted attention, but he was sure he'd hear an earful from his chiropractor if he heard word of Jiraiya suddenly suffering from back pains.

So with a determined huff Jiraiya leaned closer to Naruto and whispered, "Naruto…wake up! I'm treating you to ramen!"

Then faster before he could blink the blond shot up from his seat and was frantically moving his head left to right while calling out his precious ramen's name.

"Ramen! Where? Where!"

Naruto stopped trying to locate the desired food once he heard his grandfather's chuckling, and realized there was no ramen anywhere.

"Haha, very funny old man." He yawned as he rubbed his left eye in attempt to brush off the after effects of sleep, "How long was I out for?"

"For about ten hours," Jiraiya answered glancing at his wristwatch.

"Damn…that long?" Naruto asked stretching his body and hearing satisfying cracks as he did so.

"Yeah, but at least we're here already."

Naruto froze and immediately glued his face to the airplane's windows. Whoa! No kidding, he could even make out the faint outline of neighborhoods and buildings down below. It was a reminder that he was just that much closer on re-uniting with his old friends. God, how he missed them, but would they still remember him? He hoped so.

A sudden downward motion signaling that they were descending shook Naruto from his thoughts. He clutched his stomach as the plane went down once again in altitude and clamped his eyes shut. Right…no wonder why he chose to sleep rather than stay awake during airplane trips, he hated how all these sudden lurching motions would make him feel queasy.

He then felt a warm hand rubbing his back in a comforting manner. Naruto cracked open one eye slowly and glanced to his left seeing Jiraiya rub slow circles on his back in attempt to soothe his pains. He gave him a weak smile of appreciation before he grunted in pain as he felt his stomach jump up to his throat after the plane took a rather big dip downward. Fuck, when was this thing going to land?

And lo and behold, the tires screeched as it met the runway pavement underneath. The roar of the jet engines and the frequent bumps encouraged Naruto that it was almost over. The blond released the breath he was holding as the plane's course smoothened out to a slow run as it made its way toward its designated gate.

They've finally arrived.

**.-.-.-.-.**

**.-.-.-.-.**

Naruto shifted from balancing on one leg to the other as he uncomfortably squirmed in his spot in line to exit the plane.

'_God dammit! I really have to use the bathroom!'_

He huffed impatiently as people filed out of the plane at a snail-like pace.

'_Shit__, I should have known I'd have to use the bathroom after being immobile for ten hours!'_ Naruto crossed his legs and tried to think about anything that was non-related to liquids.

Ramen…no wait shit that had soup in it! Uhm…okay, where are we right now? Japan. Yep, good, distract yourself from the urge. Okay, let's see Japan; it was his home for 14 years, he'd meet all of his old friends again...

Hm what else? Japan was an island. An island is a tract of land surrounded by…water…

"You've got to be kidding me…" Naruto muttered as he resisted the urge to slap himself. He was going to explode if these people didn't get out of the plane faster! Just what the fuck was holding them up? Was there someone who needed help getting their luggage out from the compartments above? Well then move aside he'd get it down in a minute! Shit, he'd do anything to make this god damn line of people move faster!

Subtle movement in front of him caught his attention as he noticed that he was closer to the front of the plane now.

Yes! Salvation! He would make it!

As soon as he exited the tunnel connecting the plane to the airport he bolted for the nearest men's room, ignoring Jiraiya's shouts of 'Where the hell are you going?'

He sighed in relief, thankful that he was a guy. That meant he didn't have to wait in ridiculously long lines to use the bathroom.

Sorry ladies.

**.-.-.-.-.**

**.-.-.-.-.**

After the whole bathroom episode Naruto re-united with his grandfather somewhere near the escalators that would take them to the place where they would pick up their belongings. Spotting their suitcases was an easy task; Jiraiya had chosen a rather unique suitcase that had interesting oriental designs. Finding Naruto's suitcases were like spotting blotches of white on a black tailored suit, yes they stood out that much. Why?

His were the only orange ones on the whole conveyor belt.

Needless to say, they got out of the baggage claim area pretty quickly and headed off towards the front of the building where someone was supposed to pick them up.

Naruto leaned against his orange suitcases tapping his feet impatiently as Jiraiya surveyed the crowd of people searching for the person who was assigned to meet them once they arrived.

"Did you find the person yet Jiraiya?" Naruto whined. He was feeling a bit famished due to his hunger-strike on the plane. God, he hated airplane food, plus he knew it would only upset his stomach even more if he planned on filling it with anything while they were in that flying metal contraption people ruefully called a plane.

Hey he loved flying as much as the next guy, except if said next guy was a plane enthusiast then hell no this comparison would not qualify for him, but he hated how he was forced to be cooped up and had little moving distance. He couldn't stand staying in one spot for long periods of time, and it was just fate being cruel that any movements he made on a plane would cause his stomach to feel like it was being squeezed. Nevertheless, he was glad they finally arrived and he was back on the ground.

Where he _belonged_.

You don't see people floating up in the air right?

Nope.

They were here, on the ground, the _stable_ ground.

Yes, Naruto was happy it was over, but now he was hungry and that was a whole other problem that he would like to deal with as soon as possible. Now only if that guide would show his damn face he wouldn't be starving right now.

"No I don't think I see him…" Jiraiya answered still scanning the row of people who were holding up signs in attempt to locate family members or their passengers.

"Fine, I'll go get something to eat then. Holler if you find him!" Naruto shouted as he made his way back into the airport looking for a shop or vending machine. He wasn't feeling all too picky today.

With that said Naruto happily sipped on a cold beverage after finishing a burger while he walked toward where he last saw his grandfather. He had been gone a good 30 minutes and hoped that Jiraiya didn't leave without him.

Naruto approached a trash can and deposited his empty drink. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his blue faded jeans and searched for his iPod. He was too busy looking through his playlist to notice the person that suddenly materialized in front of him until it was too late and he ran into the person.

"Ow! What the hell?" He groaned getting up off the floor and raising his head to glare at the person that had gotten in his way, but he froze once his eyes settled on the tall man before him.

"Holy shit! They sent you to come pick us up?" Naruto yelled pointing an accusing finger toward the person whom he rudely bumped into.

**

* * *

**

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A fuming raven entered the massive building and marched right past the secretary who was too shocked from the sudden appearance of another Uchiha to even stop him from entering the room where the Head Executive resided in.

The door slammed closed behind him as he approached the desk and toward the man who was staring at him with an amused expression on his features.

"Well, well isn't this a surprise? To what do I owe the pleasure of receiving a visit from you Sasuke?" A grin broke out on the man's face as he watched the younger raven ominously walk closer.

"You know why I'm here." Sasuke answered slamming down the documents in front of the older man.

"Now, now Sasuke don't tell me you're a delivery boy now." The other teased not helping Sasuke's current mood.

"Obito, I'm not in the mood for one of your games right now," Sasuke growled out unleashing his infamous death glare as Obito shrugged and leaned back in his chair. If it were not for the situation they were in Sasuke would have reprimanded his cousin for the unprofessionalism he was exhibiting, but he had questions to ask and unfortunately this man was one of the two who could give him answers.

"Games? What games?" He grinned. Oh it was just so much fun getting his little cousin all riled up.

Sasuke stared back at him un-amused with situation, "Don't try to avoid the subject, I know he told you something about this Obito."

Obito pouted slightly, "Jeez…Sasuke lighten up, I was just having a little fun."

How was this man an Uchiha again? Or better yet how did he get the exclusive position of being the head of the successful and prestigious company of Konoha Inc.?

Oh, that's right because he had refused the position and his older brother Itachi chose to run the American branch instead. That was fine with him, the farther the bastard of a brother he had the better. The raven frowned as he gazed at the pouting man in front of him. Now only if he would leave Sasuke alone as well. But it was too good to be true; ever since his older brother left him Obito made it his job to check up on Sasuke whenever he could, and fuck being the head of a well-established company Sasuke thought his older cousin would have his hands full and wouldn't have the time to check up on him.

Boy was he wrong.

Turns out Obito still kept tabs on him all these years even after he tried to close himself off to the outside world, which he was still trying to achieve, but the fucker would not leave him alone. Always making home phone calls or sending a secretary to the Intelligence Department where Sasuke worked at. He was a grown man for god's sake! He was more than capable of taking care of himself! He did not need anybody; they would only slow him down. Which brought him back to the current matter at hand.

"Obito," Sasuke's cold voice resonated throughout the silent room as he finally managed to reign in his emotions and keep them in check.

The older raven frowned as he heard the emotionless tone in his younger cousin's voice. He meant business now.

Just _great_.

"I know about the breach in security from the documents Itachi sent," Sasuke paused momentarily clenching his knuckles a bit, "but why was it insisted that I need a _partner_?" Sasuke venomously spat out the last word, trying to make it evident of how much he was against the whole_ 'co-operating with someone else' _idea.

He worked **alone**.

But before Obito could answer the door to his office was unceremoniously opened and a blond stumbled through the door while shouting profanities to a person outside before he stiffened and turned his head toward the two other occupants in the room.

Well, this was turning out to be an interesting meeting indeed.

**

* * *

**

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Naruto glanced at the two men that were sitting across from him in the limousine, one was his grandfather, and the man next to him was none other than his former teacher Hatake Kakashi. He was quite surprised when the latter showed up at the airport to come pick them up.

'_That explains the lateness though,'_ He thought scrunching up his nose. Kakashi tried to explain that he was helping an elderly couple load their suitcases into a taxi and due to his knight-in-shining-armor personality he was overwhelmed with a need to help them…or some shit like that. Naruto didn't buy that excuse for a second, though inwardly he chuckled at the knight comparison and at how his former teacher's behavior was still the same from back then. Lame excuses and all.

"So…Kakashi-sensei, where are we going?" Naruto finally asked as he stared outside the window mystified by all the shops and buildings they passed by. Ah, a life in the city. It reminded him of his old home back in the states.

"We're going to Konoha Inc., there you will be debriefed about this mission of yours," Kakashi answered while shuffling around some papers that were on his lap. After sorting through the whole pile he neatly placed them in a manila folder and handed it to the blond.

"All of the notes and codes that have been deciphered from the American branch are in that folder, don't lose it Naruto." Kakashi lectured feeling a bit nostalgic at seeing his old pupil again.

Ah the good old days…

No wait, technically that was calling him old too right? His silver hair was in the name of fashion – it suited him – and not because of his age! Kakashi cringed remembering one of his buddies from the past, and his whole speech about youthfulness. Oh, what a memory that was.

"Oi! Kakashi-sensei! I was asking you a question!" Naruto leaned forward from his seat waving his hand in front of the man's face.

"Mah, sorry there Naruto-kun, I was just re-visiting memory lane," He grinned, but one could not tell due to the mask he wore. He claimed it made him look mysterious and when he was helping people out, it would come in handy because the bad guys couldn't see his face – then again how many half-masked people are running around these days? – thus his identity was protected while he was on his conquest to defeat evil.

_Again_…his former teacher was an odd one.

"Well stop reminiscing Kakashi-sensei, it looks like we're here," And truth be told the limousine stopped in front of a grand building that towered over the rest, but Naruto had no time to be amazed by the sight as he was suddenly pushed out of the car and into the building by Kakashi.

"Come on now Naruto-kun, we have to go see Uchiha-san since we're already an hour late."

"_ 'We'_? What do you mean _we_? You were the one who was late in picking us up!" Naruto dug his heels into the carpet in attempt to stop, but Kakashi grabbed his elbow and dragged him towards the elevators ignoring the protests coming from the blond.

"Good luck Naruto, you'll need it," Jiraiya chuckled as he watched his grandson's confused and annoyed face disappear as the elevator's doors closed.

**.-.-.-.-.**

**.-.-.-.-.**

"Kakashi-sensei let me go! And what do you mean Uchiha-san? Are you saying Itachi is here?"

The people inside the elevator stiffened at the mention of the Uchiha prodigy and once they arrived at their floor Kakashi continued to pull Naruto toward their destination choosing to ignore his questions at the moment.

"All will be explained Naruto-kun." Kakashi tried to calm the protesting man.

"Then start talking!" Naruto struggled harder from the grip his former teacher had on him, but damn, the man _was_ strong!

"I'm afraid it's not my place to tell you Naruto-kun, but instead Uchiha-san will explain it all to you don't worry," Kakashi smiled again making his one visible eye look like the letter 'U', and before Naruto could speak out again he was roughly shoved inside a room.

"Kakashi-sensei! God damn you stop throwing me around like a rag doll! I fucking demand to know what is going on!"

The silver-haired man laughed and handed Naruto the manila folder, "Well if you'll turn around you'll see that the people you are looking for and who can answer your questions are right behind you."

Naruto's anger immediately defused as he whipped around and noticed two pairs of striking black eyes looking at him. One held amusement, while the other was menacingly glaring at him.

Oh dear god, what had he gotten himself into?

* * *

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Obito's lips twitched into a small smile as he gazed at the blond who was standing a couple of feet away from them. Ah, so this was Sasuke's new partner, neh? He seemed pretty interesting. It was not often he met someone with that shade of blond hair, but then again he had his fair share of meeting _unique_ people during business trips…

"My dear boy, come over here. Please have a seat!" He motioned to the chair near his desk that was currently un-occupied. The blond walked timidly to his seat and sat down, occasionally shifting from his current position now and then. Obito frowned. Was he nervous? Surely, he wasn't that intimidating was he?

From the corner of his eyes he noticed the blond glance to the right of him and then quickly back to the folder he was holding onto.

Ah.

That's right.

He forgot his cousin was also in the room, and said cousin was shooting imaginary daggers at the blond.

"Sasuke! Stop that!" Obito scolded not even flinching when the raven re-directed his glare toward him instead. Oh please, he was an Uchiha himself and after spending years with Itachi and Sasuke, he was practically immune to the so called 'Uchiha Death Glare'.

So Obito glared right back at Sasuke challengingly before the younger raven stopped and turned his head toward the side, probably deciding that this silent stare-off was too troublesome to even continue. He then turned his attention back to the fidgety blond and smiled, "Hello, I'm Uchiha Obito, and you are?" Obito asked holding his hand out toward the man as a friendly gesture.

Naruto stiffened as he saw the older Uchiha smile. He did not know they were even capable of smiling! Let alone being nice and friendly as this one, surely he was not a pure-blooded Uchiha...?

"…Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you Uchiha-sama." Naruto hesitantly shook the man's hand before leaning back into his seat more as he heard the raven next to him growl. Just what the hell was that guy's problem?

"Oh please call me Uchiha-san or Obito," He stood up and walked toward the other raven placing his hands down on his shoulders, "And this fellow over here is my cute little cousin Sasuke-kun!" He laughed and jumped back before Sasuke could grab him and quite possibly strangle him in the process.

Naruto snickered at the scene before him. He may have not known this Obito character for very long, but he had a feeling they would get along pretty well with each other, unlike that prick over there who continued to ignore him, unless you count glaring at him from the moment he walked in, then yeah he was paying _a lot_ of attention to him.

"Uhm, sorry to interrupt this family moment you two are having-"

The raven next to him scoffed in disagreement, but Naruto ignored him feeling that two could play at that game, "but, why am I here?"

The man named Sasuke immediately sat up straight and stared pointedly at Naruto, "You mean you don't even know why you are here?"

"Sasuke…" Obito started, his voice taking on a warning tone.

"Fuck. I should have known he would pair me up with some dumbass loser that has no clue what's going on." Sasuke grounded out as he crossed his arms in defiance.

Remind him again, how was this supposed to be beneficial in solving the case? Having a clueless moron as your partner? He already knew he didn't need a partner, and now he definitely decided he wasn't going to have this one even if they forced him to get a partner. He outright **refused**.

Obito sighed and sat down in his chair waiting for the blond to bolt from the room because of his arrogant cousin's snide remarks that would usually have anyone running out the door by now.

But Naruto was not just _anyone_, and these two Uchiha's were not prepared for the response that was to come.

Naruto fisted his palms in his lap, gritted his teeth, and pivoted his head toward the brooding man next to him.

"What did you call me!" Naruto glared back at the raven equally matching the intensity of Sasuke's stare.

Sasuke smirked, always ready for a challenge and leaned closer to the blond.

"A. Dumb. Ass. Loser." Each word was clearly enunciated and that was when Naruto decided to wipe off that annoying smirk by punching the raven square in the jaw.

Sasuke faltered clearly not expecting the punch. He then noticed the blond pull back his fist for another swing, though this time he caught it easily, but what he failed to anticipate was for Naruto to grab his arm and pull him forward meeting his foot head on.

Sasuke grunted in pain as he was kicked in the stomach. With a guttural growl he grabbed Naruto's foot that was still in mid-air from the kick and quickly flipped the blond over, successfully knocking him down.

Naruto's head smacked against the wooden floor beneath him as he watched his vision blur for a moment before they re-focused on the smug looking Uchiha hovering right above him. "You fucking bastard!" he spat out as he quickly stood up and caught the raven in a headlock.

"Holy shit! It's like watching live T.V!" Obito exclaimed watching the spectacle before him.

Damn, now only if he had some popcorn for it wasn't everyday you could witness a fight break out right in front of you. Except during board meetings, but those were usually verbal battles, and if the other executives ever decide to physically lash out at each other they would courteously take it outside or hire some lackeys to take care of the person. Yep, his job was _fun_.

Sasuke's usual pale face tinged red as Naruto failed to relinquish his hold, depriving him of the precious oxygen human beings needed in order to continue living.

Fuck.

He needed to end this now.

Sasuke effectively elbowed Naruto hard in the chest making the blond cry out in pain and stagger back carefully nursing the soon-to-be bruised spot. Sensing the opening he quickly executed a low kick that made Naruto's knees buckle and he landed on the ground with an ungracious thud. Sasuke instinctively pinned him down **(1) **while grabbing his hands and placing them behind his back while he shoved Naruto's face into the floor. He leaned in closer to the blond and just as he was hovering right above his ear he whispered, "You can't beat me, dobe."

"Fuck. You!" Came the muffled reply underneath him.

Some of you may be wondering where was the supposedly responsible adult, since it seems Sasuke and Naruto aren't acting that way at the moment, Uchiha Obito? Well he's currently watching the two mouth agape in a un-Uchiha fashion. Wow, he did not expect this encounter to turn out into to a full-out brawl! If he did he would have brought his camera dammit! It was not often Sasuke was pushed to the edge and up to the point when the young Uchiha would finally snap and release some of the pent up anger and frustration toward a poor, defenseless victim nearby.

Obito was surprised though that this was not the case, well not entirely. He deemed Naruto as a shy and timid person judging only by how the man acted during the beginning of the meeting, but jeez was he wrong! The little firecracker had spunk in him! Nobody had **ever **stood up against an Uchiha, let alone dared to face against one, and yet here was this quirky little blond who actually put up a good fight against Sasuke.

Shit, he _even _landed a punch on his face! This guy was all aces in Obito's book, that was for sure!

He then looked toward his cousin who was currently sitting on top of the struggling blond and released a tired sigh. He knew Sasuke was near his breaking point due to all of the dead-ends and red hearings they were given. The young Uchiha was the head of the Intelligence Department of the company and their best detective, if someone figured out a mystery; Sasuke could figure it out faster. Sasuke had solved everything – up until now that is – and with that in mind the raven probably felt the pressure with his reputation and the company's on the line now since everybody looked to him to solve this.

And with Konoha Inc. as the leading producer in technology, not to mention with the rising interest in nanotechnology, there were many envious competitors who would do anything to get their hands on their blueprints and files. It was all for naught though, for they had hired specific people to prevent these hackings. If an attempt was made, not only have the computer technicians set up a re-enforced security system, those who were in the Intelligence Department were in charge of tracking down the hackers before they could strike again.

Their system of defense had been working effectively for years, it never failed them nor did it fail to keep hackers out; that all changed five months ago when there was an attempted assault that managed to get through the system's firewalls but was quickly found when it triggered one of the main frame's back-up defenses. This was a wake-up call to the company that someone out there could be capable of breaking down their security system. They got too cocky though when a second attack failed to appear months afterwards, feeling that they won and that the first attack was semi-successfully due to pure luck.

Their confidence in the current security system lead to the downfall in the American branch. It seemed the hackers were just bidding their time when they would lower their guards down enough to attack.

And attack they did.

They hacked right into the mainframe and his cousin Itachi suspected this was all done right under noses as well. He also believed that there might be spies working within the company, secretly leaking out information to whom they work for and were just waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Obito stared at the two men who were currently bickering in front him.

Their best detective partnered up with an agent Itachi recommended, and he respected his relative enough to trust judgment, though at the moment he couldn't help but feel a bit unsure of the whole situation.

"Get off me, teme!"

"Hn."

" '_Hn'_? What kind of response is that?"

"Shut up, dobe."

"My name isn't dobe! It's Naruto! Get it right you pompous bastard!"

"I'll call you whatever I feel like calling you."

"Oh…just wait until I get out of here, you are _so_ going to get it!"

"More of the reason why I shouldn't get up then, dobe."

"You're so infuriating!"

"And you're annoying."

"I hate you!"

"Likewise."

These two were their last hope? Obito grimaced, for once in his life he feared what would become of the company since it was now in the hands of those two.

"God help us all," he muttered glancing back toward the two who were being forced into co-operating with each other, "we'll need it."

**

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After their little scuffle and more verbal jousting between the two, Obito finally deemed it was enough and separated the pair. He even had to move them on opposite sides of the room, since they clearly were not handling this very well. They were behaving like a bunch of children! So that's how they were going to be treated.

As soon as the two settled down, Obito took that time to formally introduce each other – effectively avoiding another brawl – and both were more than surprised to know of what the other was capable of. Even Sasuke seemed a bit more at ease hearing that the blond was an agent of the American branch and was chosen by his older brother.

Although, looks can be deceiving.

Obito ignored him as he tried to soothe Naruto, who also heard the comment, from instigating another fight with the raven. By the end of the day Sasuke and Naruto were both sporting bruises and the eldest of the two was coming down with major migraine from dealing with the both of them. Thus, he sent them off on their way, effectively silencing any arguments that may arise when he notified the two that they would be living together.

"You two are partners now, so start acting like it." Obito's mother of all glares shut them both up knowing the usual playfulness the older Uchiha had was now gone. Sasuke as well seemed to be a bit put off by his cousin's serious demeanor. Not that he'd ever tell anyone though.

Once the meeting was adjourned Obito literally kicked them out of his office and Sasuke did not bother waiting for the bumbling moron of a partner he had now as he walked down the stairs.

At the lobby he was greeted by the blond – he made it down faster since he used the elevators – and walked stiffly in front of him toward where he parked his black BMW M1.

Silence engulfed their ride back home, but Sasuke could not enjoy it due to the blond who was messing around with the dials and constantly kept changing the radio-station.

Sasuke took a deep breath and loosened his hold on the steering wheel, "Dobe. Chose a station and stick with it."

Naruto stopped tinkering with the dial and folded his arms in annoyance, "I hate listening to the commercials or the radio announcers though." He really wished he had his iPod with him, but they were in his suitcase in the trunk thinking that he wouldn't need them anymore, but now he needed them more than ever as he so desperately wished to drown out this insufferable silence with his music.

"Hn."

Naruto frowned and Sasuke inaudibly sighed as the blond went back to switching the stations _again_.

Damn Sasuke and his cold bastardness.

Damn Naruto and his absence of a mind.

**.-.-.-.-.**

**.-.-.-.-.**

Naruto could not help himself from gasping as they entered through the iron gates that swung open as they drove into the Uchiha Manor. There, past the circular driveway, lay atop a magnificent mansion. Its porch lights illuminated the white-stoned bricks that went up three stories high, while the driveway path was highlighted with small little lights of their own reminding Naruto of the run way strip. He was too busy gawking at the enormity of the house that he barely noticed Sasuke parking the car until he came up to his door and opened it.

"You'll catch flies if you keep your mouth open like that, dobe."

And the mansion-admiring-mode he was in quickly dissipated, damn you Sasuke...

Naruto puffed his cheeks in annoyance and ignored the raven as he stomped up the steps and toward the front door. Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes and followed suit. He fished out his keys from his jacket and unlocked the door strolling on inside.

Cue another gasp from the blond as he took in the house's interior decorating. A glistening chandelier loomed over his head that could be seen from the outside through the arch windows that seemed to dominate the majority of the mansion. In front of him was a grand staircase that split into two different flights of steps as they headed out in opposite directions** (2)**. The marble stone floor was finely polished as he stared down at his own reflection. Excitement bubbled up inside of him as he surveyed his new home. This sure beat living in an apartment!

Suddenly a piece of paper was shoved in front of his face.

"Wha-?" Naruto mumbled as he looked at the paper that looked to be a blue-print of the house. He wondered quietly why two of the rooms had an 'X' on them.

"That is a map of the house," Sasuke stated as if he was referring to the obvious.

Well. No duh.

Before Naruto could ask why he was giving him this Sasuke continued, "As you can see I'm a very busy man, I don't have guests over often-"

_'Or at all,'_ Naruto corrected silently in his head.

"-and I don't have time to play tour guide. So with this map I expect you to refer to it instead of coming to bother me if you need to find something." Sasuke explained walking away from the blond.

Naruto's eye started twitching as he watched the arrogant man before him spew out all the house rules, and just when he was about to end his little lecture he asked something that the raven failed to mention earlier.

"What's this 'X' on the map for?" It made the paper look like some kind of treasure-hunting map!

Sasuke quickly looked at the map and then back to the blond, "Hopefully, that mind of yours is not registering that piece of paper as a treasure map, 'X' does not mark the spot for treasure, dobe." Shit, was this guy a mind reader? Oh wait, he was still talking. Right, best to listen to his _majesty_.

"The 'X's' on the map points out all of the areas that are off-limits to you."

"There are only two off-limits areas," Naruto noted spotting only two 'X's on the map.

"Indeed. This one is my room," Sasuke pointed to the 'X' located in the west wing of the mansion, "I'm pointing this out now so you don't 'accidentally' stumble upon it. So no excuses will be tolerated if I find you in my room."

Well touchy, touchy. Someone sounds like they are hiding something.

"And the other is the attic located on the third floor."

"Why is no one allowed there?"

Sasuke ignored the question and turned around walking toward the grand staircase, "Dinner will be ready at six and I expect you not to be late."

Naruto watched Sasuke ascend the stairs and noticed the backside of the map.

"Wait! What's this on the back?"

Sasuke's steps did not falter as he continued to go upstairs, "That is the bus schedule. As I've told you before, I'm a very busy person. Do not expect me to wait for you in the morning, if you chose to sleep-in…well let's just say you better have that list memorized then, dobe." The raven then vanished into the west wing of the mansion his words echoing in Naruto's ears.

'_That no good for nothing selfish – ugh!'_ The blond growled as he picked up his suitcases and trekked on upstairs toward the guest bedrooms that were located on the east wing.

'_He probably arranged it that way, so that if he ever came in contact with people he would still be far away from them as possible.' _Naruto thought scathingly.

Sasuke was such a bad host.

And he did not even offer a helping hand with his luggage either!

Again, what a jerk his partner turned out to be.

Naruto finally decided on a room and grabbed a pair of his pajamas deciding that he would un-pack everything tomorrow instead. He was both physically and mentally tired from this whole ordeal. As he laid down on the soft king-sized mattress his mind drifted back to the piece of paper that was on his nightstand.

Stupid prick and his rules. He'd show him, oh yes, you don't mess with Uzumaki Naruto! Sasuke wanted a challenge? Oh he'd give him one.

Yes.

Let. The. Games. Begin.

* * *

**.-.-.-.-.**

**.-.-.-.-.**

**Side Comments:**

**(1)** - I guess this answers the question of who's the seme in this story huh? ;D

**(2) **- Try to picture the staircase from "Beauty and the Beast" at how it's displayed as one big staircase at the bottom, but then branches out as one leads to the west wing and the other to the east wing.**  
**

**Author's Note:**

Damn, my hands hurt from typing! Dx My brain also hurts a little, sorry this took a bit longer to write. I really wasn't sure how I would approach the two's destined meeting should be. Hell, I had to discard 3 drafts since I didn't like them, though I never originally had a fight planned out, but I was watching this new OVA called "Black Rock Shooter" and there was a fighting scene and I couldn't help it xD

I gave an overall gist as to why the two need to work together, but as you can see Sasuke is reluctant, due to his lone-wolf personality thing he's got going on xP

And Naruto's just Naruto o.o Just acting on impulse at times xD

But, nehhh, the two forces of nature (lol what?) finally meet, and already as you can see there's chaos. So stay tuned for more disputes from our favorite quarreling duo! ^^

**.-.-.-.-.**

**What's to Come:**

Sasuke and Naruto go over the clues and facts inside the manila folder that Kakashi gave them.

Naruto goes with Sasuke to work since they are now partners.

A re-union with old friends (remember who works there as well, it's not just Sasuke in that building ;])

Oh and it's Sasuke's and Naruto's first day of working together...let the fun begin! :D

Keep an eye out for the next chapter, "A Chaotic Partnership".

_SilverxStarlight_


End file.
